Dom surf into town atop a wave of buzz

Dom the Frontman still won't give up his last name

Hailing from Worchester, Massachusetts, Dom is one of those exceptions to the rule that says rock phenomena develop slowly, like Polaroids. When Dom emerged last year with their first EP, Sun Bronzed Greek Gods, there was little quibbling about whether or not they had the goods, because they did.

The group's frontman and namesake, Dom—he's not proffering his last name because he's supposedly in debt to a great many people—sings about busted romance and life on the skids in a not-quite-falsetto wheedle over pop apparatuses that flash and glow like haunted installation-art pieces; listening to Gods suggests Ariel "Pink" Rosenberg on his meds. And the more you submit to the gooey, milky break-up plaint "I Wonder" or the down-and-out life affirmation "Rude as Jude," which somehow straddles glam and garage, the less inclined you are to eject the EP from your car stereo.

CP:What was the first band, song, or album to make you realize that you wanted to be a musician?

Dom: Roy Orbison, "Pretty Woman."

CP:How did Dom, the band, begin?

Dom: I met Bobby in December 2009. We were pretty much only making electronic music until we decided to play real instruments after I wrote "Jesus" in January 2010. Then we added Erik, and some months later, Cosmo.

CP:You know you've hit the big time as a young band—or at least struck some kind of nerve—when your debut EP gets a quick-turnaround re-mastered reissue. What was the aim with this new version of Sun Bronzed Greek Gods?

Dom: We were fine with the way it sounded before, but it was a good way to revisit the mixes and make it cleaner. The mastering is way better.

CP:Did the EP come together over a long or short period of time, and what were your personal circumstances while recording?

Dom: I wrote all the songs from January to March 2010. I was definitely going through some stuff: I ended a serious relationship; Bochicha [his pet cat] came into my life; I moved out of a really terrible boarding-house living situation, and some other junk.

CP:What inspired "Burn Bridges" emotionally and artistically? The vibe of that song is so thoroughly Fleetwood Mac that I get a contact high just listening to it.

Dom: "Burn Bridges" was more of a goodbye to some people I will never speak to again. I was really inspired by the sonics of David Bowie's "Sound and Vision."

CP:How has life changed for you since Dom caught on nationally? Are you riding around in limos yet?

Dom: Things are definitely better, but not the best. We are on food stamps and MassHealth. We never have money to spend on anything, but we don't really have too many major expenses. We get a lot of stuff for free, as well. We could always use more, though.

CP:Is there any awkwardness involved in being in a band named after the frontperson?

Dom: No, I think it's fun—same way it must have been for Jimi Hendrix or Juliana Hatfield.

CP:Which member of the band plays tambourine? Do you travel with a bunch of them, or just one?

Dom: Stephanie Tanner. She's got a snake-skin suitcase full of 'em.

CP:Are there any plans for a full-length Dom album?

Dom: We're not doing full-lengths. People don't buy compact discs anymore. No one has the patience to listen through 14 songs; no one has 14 good songs.

City Pages:Have you been following this whole Charlie Sheen saga? What's your take on it?

Dom: Charlie Sheen is the next William S. Burroughs.

DOM play with Heavy Hawaii and Fort Wilson Riot on THURSDAY, APRIL 7,
at the 7th ST. ENTRY; 612.332.1775